Moeen won’t bowl in tour game
Spinner Moeen Ali will not bowl in England’s warm-up game in Perth this weekend to allow him to recover fully from a finger injury he sustained earlier on tour.
Moeen will captain a new-look England side that will play in a two-day game against Cricket Australia XI at Richardson Park on Saturday and Sunday, with only Moeen being included from the side that lost the second Ashes Test.
ALSO READ: England to explore depth in Perth
The off-spinner went into the Adelaide Test nursing a finger injury he suffered in the first game of the series and has been out-bowled by Australia counterpart Nathan Lyon in the two games so far.
It was thought that the 30-year-old was included in the tour game to get some rhythm in his bowling but he said he wante to batting practice ahead of the WACA Test.
Moeen said: “I probably won’t bowl this game. Just so my finger has more time. It needs to heal. As soon as I start bowling, it starts to rip a little.
“I’m a finger spinner. It’s the one thing I need to be 100%. I ripped it in the first game and it’s not been easy. I didn’t score many runs or take many wickets in Adelaide, so it was a tough game.
“I need a bit more time for healing. It is healing now. I didn’t bowl much in the second innings in Adelaide, which was actually quite good for my finger, and hopefully, another five or six days’ rest will be quite good for it.”
The third Ashes Test starts on 14 December with England needing to win to stay in the series.
Latest
-
News
Surrey stars eager to help Alec Stewart sign off with more silverware
Stewart has guided Surrey to three County Championship wins during his decade in charge.
-
Women's Cricket
Maia Bouchier smashes 91 as England Women seal T20 series victory
England made 177 for three and then restricted New Zealand to 130 for seven.
-
County Cricket
Yorkshire boosted by Harry Brook and Joe Root’s early-season availability
Both players are not at the Indian Premier League.
-
England
Ollie Pope ‘itching’ to get back scoring runs after ‘frustrating’ tour of India
The England vice-captain hit a superb 196 in Hyderabad, but averaged only 14.75 in the next four Tests of the India series.
-
Women's Cricket
Ellyse Perry says Ashes Test at MCG ‘amazing’ but unsure about four-day return
Australia will host England at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in the Women’s Ashes early next year.
-
County Cricket
Harry Brook set to return for start of Yorkshire’s County Championship campaign
Brook withdrew from England’s Test tour of India in January due to personal reasons.
-
England
England spinner Tom Hartley expects his exploits in India to be ‘life changing’
Hartley’s second-innings haul of seven for 62 in Hyderabad delivered one England’s greatest ever overseas victories.
-
Women's Cricket
Heather Knight urges more composure from England after New Zealand collapse
The tourists needed just 29 from 29 balls with eight wickets in hand.
-
Australia
On this day in 2018: Australia ‘sandpapergate’ ball-tampering controversy erupts
The incident led to Steve Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft being banned from playing for Australia.
-
England
Andrew Flintoff would be excellent England coach – Rob Key
The former national team captain will lead Northern Superchargers in The Hundred this summer.